Jeff Passan has intriguing nugget on potential Braves trade target

With one of the best teams in baseball and a wealth of young pitching to use as trade ammunition, most expect Alex Anthopoulos to be ultra aggressive as the deadline approaches.

The Braves also have some clear areas where they could stand to upgrade.

Most notably, adding a frontline arm to pair with Chris Sale would be ideal. The rotation hasn’t been a problem so far, but the postseason is an entirely different animal. The Braves need another ace-caliber guy when October arrives.

The bullpen could also use another left-handed arm. Dylan Lee has been outstanding, but he can’t shoulder that load alone. And lastly, the Braves could use a bat capable of DHing and playing left field. Coming into the season, that was supposed to be Jurickson Profar. His 162-game suspension hasn’t hurt the team thus far, but it leaves an obvious hole that needs to be filled.

That’s where Jarren Duran comes in. He may not be a right-handed bat, which would be preferred with Mike Yastrzemski in the fold, but he’s such a clear upgrade in left field that he’s a potential target if the Red Sox make him available. Boston is currently listening to offers — however, the gap between how they value him and what the rest of the league is willing to pay is significant, according to Jeff Passan.

“And while teams will continue to ask about outfielder Jarren Duran, the difference between how Boston and potential suitors value him remains steep,” Passan wrote in his latest piece for ESPN.

Duran began the season in a deep slump but has turned it around considerably over the last month, hitting nine home runs with an .864 OPS over his last 29 games. He’s been among the best all-around outfielders in the sport over the last three seasons and has two years remaining on his contract after this season.

The Red Sox are right to hold him in high regard, and there’s no reason to lower their asking price this far from the deadline. We’ll find out how serious they are about moving him in about six weeks.

If talks heat up, expect the Braves to be among the interested parties. Left field has been a black hole in Atlanta for half a decade. They tried to pull off a blockbuster trade for Byron Buxton a year ago. They should be looking to do something similar this time around.

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